The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-01
SIM COY AS AN ORATOR.

|
of Sim Coy on record. 1t is the speech he
made at the, meeting of the Democratic city
central committee on the night of March 90.
The principal object of the meeting was to
place the power of nominating Mayor in
Coy's hands Coy called the meeting to or
der and made John E. Sullivan president.
The latter then called on Coy to state the OBJ
| ject of the meeting, when the boss arose and
| spoke follows:
81 think about all of US know the person
we want to nominate but we must do our
work up in a decent manner. If we expect to
win this fall, we will have to do some good
| work. l have had some experience in man
| aging campaigns and / know about what we
| have got to do to carry Indianapolis. We have
| to know where to put our hand on every man.
| We have to organize. Close organization is
what makes us successful. There are several
| classes of voters that can control if we
| work it right, and must arrange to work
| them. Now, it was understood that we were
| to come here and determine the persons to
nominate for Mayor and clerk. don't think
we had better be too fast. l think the best
thing we can do is to refer the selection of
candidates to our executive committee. That
committee will have much work to do. They
can do it better than we all can. There
Is the discriminating of whether want an
early or e late convention and many other
things. My experience has been that the
fewer men you have in this politics the better
it will be done"
Considering the occasion, the speaker and
the audience, we regard this great speech.
1t needs, however, to be read between the
lines to get the full force and meaning. An
Grafton must always be judged by its fitness
70 Ia ofr 81. -
ered-the occasion, audience, etc. Among
Mr.. Coy's auditors on this occasion were
Messrs. John E. Sullivan, DR.. Metcalf, Attor-
ney Spaan, Bernhamer and others who knew
his political methods and resources To such
an audience he could talk freely, yet must
take care not to say too much. His words
must suggest as much as they express. When
Mr.. Coy says Elf we expect to win this fall
we must do some good work." his auditors
knew what he meant without further waste of
words. And, by the way, the public knows
pretty we'll by this time what Coy means by
"good work" The speaker had had "some
experience in managing campaigns" and knew
''about what we have got to do to carry In
OlanapoilS InlS was modest way OF eX-
pressing his authority as boss, just enough
to impress without offending his auditors.
And so on till he came to the real object of
the meeting which was the selection of can
didate for Mayor This, Mr.. Coy thought,
had better be referred to ''our executive COM
mittee," of which he was and is
chairman. The speaker modestly suggested
that the executive committee could edo it
better than we all can, and then after com
ties and responsibilities of the committee he
wound up with his now celebrated utterance,
'My experience has been that the fewer men
you have in this politics the better it will be
DONE" Perhaps no speech ever accomplished its
object more promptly and effectually. At it's
conclusion resolution was offered and adopt
ed doing precisely what the orator had recon-
mended. viz, placing the selection of candi-
dates in the hands of the committee Of which
one of Coys henchmen, transferred to "our
executive committee" that is to Simeon him
self, the power usually exercised by delegate
convention of selecting candidates. Under
authority thus conferred Coy selected DIR.
Edenharter as the candidate tor Mayor, and
i'll due time the convention ratified it. It
was what might he called, in the expressive
language of the boss, good work"